flowchart LR
subgraph DM[Data Mining]
direction LR
subgraph Data
end
subgraph Cleaning
end
subgraph Wrangling
end
subgraph EDA
end
subgraph Modeling
end
subgraph Interpretation
end
end
A[Stakeholders] --> DM
B[Organizational Requirements] --> DM
DM --> Decisions --> Value
Data --> Cleaning --> Wrangling --> EDA --> Modeling --> Interpretation
Interpretation --> Data
BANA 4080
Brad Boehmke
Phonetically: “Bem” + “Key”
Alternatives:
- Dr. / Professor B
- Brad
Contact:
- Read Communication Expectations Canvas page first!
- Email: boehmkbc@ucmail.uc.edu
- Office: Lindhall 3412
What About AI? Won’t It Do This for Me?
“Why do I need to learn coding when ChatGPT can just do it for me?”
It’s a fair question. Let’s talk about it honestly.
🤖 AI tools are incredible accelerators, but they’re not magic:
- They don’t understand your business context
- They can’t ask the right questions about your data
- They sometimes just make stuff up
- They’re only as good as your prompts and interpretation
Learning to Code: A Reality Check
Let’s be honest — learning to code can be frustrating at first.
You might feel:
- 😤 Confused by error messages
- 🤯 Like everyone else “gets it” but you
- 😮💨 Stuck on simple problems
- 🙄 Like you’re just copying examples
This is normal. It’s expected.
Learning to Code = Learning a New Language
You’ll start by copying examples and Googling errors.
Over time, you’ll stop memorizing and start thinking in code.
This course is designed for beginners — we’ll get you there step by step!
Resources
Everything You Need Is in One of Two Spots
📍 Course Canvas Page
📘 Course Textbook
Step 1
Why Learn to Code? 🤔
- Coding = flexibility + power
- Handle real-world data: big, messy, inconsistent
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Think algorithmically and analytically
Why Python? 🤔
- Widely used
- Easy-to-read syntax (great for beginners)
- Massive ecosystem: pandas, numpy, matplotlib, scikit-learn
- Community support: tutorials, libraries, AI tools
- Most organizations are shifting toward Python as the primary language for their data science and engineering codebases
Important
Python is the most valuable tool in your analytics toolbox.
How You’ll Run Python: Google Colab
What is Colab?
- 💻 Free cloud-based Python environment from Google
- 🚫 No software installation needed to get started
- ✅ Works in your browser – just click and code
Why Colab First?
- Easy, consistent experience for everyone on Day 1
- Allows us to focus on learning — not debugging installs
- We’ll gradually move toward installing tools locally (e.g., Anaconda, Jupyter, VS Code)
Important
You’ll be up and coding on Day 1 — no setup headaches!
Your Learning Journey Starts Now
📖 What Next?
- Read the “Start Here!” module
- Start working through Module 1’s readings - Chapters 1-3
- Get up and running in Colab
🗓️ Thursday Lab:
- Your first Python code
- Working in Google Colab
- Collaborative problem-solving
💡 Remember: We’re building skills step-by-step!
